The One I Love
by AzoNintendo
Summary: Rewritten. Peach grinned. "So... Is something wrong?" "No, no, nothing's wrong," Mario replied, avoiding her eyes. "Just... shocked." Peach/OC, Peach/Mario, Mario/Pauline
1. Chapter 1

**Well, here it is, the rewrite of "The One I Love," mushed together with an old one I wrote a long time ago to make it more interesting. I hated the original, but liked the concept, so... yeah. Enjoy. Be happy, though, because the ORIGINAL original draft for this, which I wrote when I was about 9 in my wittle notebook, was EYE RAPE.  
**

**I'll try to update this one and that other one as often as I can. I just needed to write something a little more laid back. I wanted to explore slightly different personalities for the characters.  
**

**Characters and yada yadas belong to Nintendo.  
**

**

* * *

**Mario was in a predictable scene. The princess had been kidnapped. He must save her. Yada, yada... It seemed as though this happened every other day without fail. It's not that he didn't like Peach, in fact, he loved her. But he was not someone who lived in a rut. He was a New Yorker! He had to have excitement!

Nevertheless, he ran as fast as his short legs would carry him after Bowser's Clown Kopter. Peach was shrieking her head off, leaning precariously over the edge, while Bowser steered. The motor of the Kopter was much, much faster than any human could run, and Mario soon found himself out of breath. The Kopter was becoming a green dot in the distance.

Mario stopped and panted, leaning forward and balancing his hands on his knees. After a few seconds, he raised his head and resumed running. Just in time to see a pink dot falling, about twenty feet, out of the Kopter.

* * *

Peach had plenty of excitement in her life, thank you very much. She had always been the most popular, especially in High School, and was used to having people fuss over her. In fact, she loved having people fuss over her. To Peach, having Matthew Belanger and Harry Micheals fight over asking her to senior prom was only slightly different from Bowser Koopa kidnap her and having Mario Mario save her. She just didn't... _feel _anything towards them. For one thing, Bowser always kidnapped her.

And Mario?

Well, she had always thought that he was a good friend, and a wonderful person to be around, she just didn't feel a certain connection to him. It didn't help that everyone always tried to pair them up. Ah, the hapless princess, and the knight in shining armor coming to rescue her. How romantic.

And just when she was wishing her _real _Prince Charming would swoop in and save her, Bowser kidnapped her. A colossal turtle was not what she had in mind. And the day kept getting worse when she fell out of his stupid Clown Kopter.

She remembered tumbling through the air for a few seconds, then the hard impact of ground, and not much after that.

* * *

Three months had passed. The windy autumn air had turned frigid and icy, the leafy ground hard and slippery. People walked around in scarves and think coats, though most just stayed inside next to their fires. Peach and her close friends did so, staying in one of the smaller rooms of the drafty castle, Peach laying on a couch and Mario sitting on the floor near the fire. Peach was fit to burst with good news, but didn't want to give it away just yet.

Luigi and Daisy were flirting, as usual. When Peach, a lifelong friend of Daisy, had finally introduced her to the Mario brothers, Luigi had taken to her almost immediately. In a week they had gone on their first date, in a month they were an official couple, and in a year Luigi had proposed. Daisy accepted, and their marriage was to take place in the summer. At the moment, they were sitting in an armchair, looking quite squished but comfortable.

They had been stimulated by conversation for a very long time, and Peach thought now would be a good time to break the news. She could hardly wait any longer. She waited a few seconds while they laughed at one of Luigi's jokes.

"Hey, guys," she began, making sure she had everyone's attention. "Do you remember that time, a while ago, when I fell out of Bowser's Kopter?" They nodded. "Well, while I was in the kingdom, the one I landed in, I met the prince. After I left, we kept writing to each other, and I visited him a few weeks ago, and, well..." She held out her hand, showing the bright diamond glittering there.

Their reactions were instant. Daisy gasped and screamed. Luigi yelled, "Oh my god!" Mario's jaw dropped, but he smiled almost instantly afterward.

Daisy hugged Peach tightly, shouting, "Peachie's getting married! Peachie's getting married!" Peach smiled, blush creeping up her cheeks. Luigi grinned widely, asking questions about the wedding and when it was to take place. Mario just sat and stared at the fire, the ghost of a smile on his face.

After a while, Daisy checked her watch. "Well, it's late. I'm going to bed. Seeya tomorrow!" She waltzed out of the room.

"I'd better go home, too," Luigi said. "I'm so happy for you, Peach!" Luigi leaned over for a high-five, then exited the room, leaving Mario and Peach alone.

Mario was still staring into space, his eyes becoming a little glazed over. Peach sat silently and awkwardly on the sofa, searching for words to say. "Erm... So..."

Mario jumped as if he had forgotten she was in the room. He smiled a large smile that looked slightly forced. "Congratulations, Peach!"

Peach grinned. "So... Is something wrong?"

"No, no, nothing's wrong," Mario replied, avoiding her eyes. "Just... shocked."

"Shocked? Why?"

"Well, it's big news, I guess." He shrugged, tugging on his gloves.

Peach searched his face, trying to see something it wasn't showing. She gave a light sigh. This wasn't going as she planned. "You're okay with this, right?"

"Of course I'm okay with it, Peach. Why wouldn't I be?" He wasn't even looking at her now, just staring at the dying fire.

Peach didn't reply. She stared at the fire along with him, watching the dancing flames. She broke the silence with another sigh. "I'd better go to bed. I'm traveling tomorrow."

"Where to?"

"Picking Trevor up at the train station," she answered, standing. "We've got some planning to do, and I want him to meet you guys."

Mario stood. He was stony faced, and looked as if he was trying not to move too much. "I have to go too. I'll see you, okay?"

Peach smiled in response, walking upstairs quickly. What has just happened? Mario was completely fine, right up until she told them the big news. What if...

Oh no.

Oh, no no no.

Mario was in love with her. How could _Mario _be in love with her? He was... Well, he was_ Mario _for god's sake. This was all wrong. This was going to ruin _everything.

* * *

_Mario walked home in a daze. He wasn't sure how long it took him to get there, but when he did, he walked into the living room and plopped into a chair. Luigi walking in, sitting next to him.

"Wow, tough break, buddy."

"Yup, but whatcha gonna do?" Mario tugged at his gloves, deep in though. He had always though his feelings for Peach went without saying. He guessed they didn't. "This kind of sucks."

Luigi laughed as he got up to fix himself some dinner. "It's just a girl. You'll get over it."

"That's easy for you to say when you've already got your girl."

"Yeah, I guess so." He flopped back down onto the couch, sandwich in hand.

Mario took a small box out of his pocket, opening it to look at a sparkling diamond ring. Luigi's jaw dropped.

"Oh, no, you weren't going to...?" He took the box to examine it more closely. "Wow, this is nice. She would have loved this. That's... well, I'm sorry." Luigi stared around awkwardly in the silence that followed. "There's always Pauline..."

This caught Mario's attention. "Pauline? You mean that girl from high school who cheated on me every five minutes? Hell no!" He sighed and took back the ring. "Maybe I _will _find someone else, but it won't be her. I'm going to bed."

"It's six o'clock."

"It's been a long day." And with that, he was gone.


	2. Chapter 2

**Dear god, I've been gone for an inexcusable amount of time. I just started 8th grade, so y'know, homework out the wazoo. It's strange to think I started on this site when I was starting 5th grade. Wow, has it really been that long? Sheesh...**

**So, sorry 'bout that. I've fallen back in love with this story. Expect updates. Review, review, review!**

Mario awoke disoriented, thinking for a few minutes that Peach announcing her engagement was all some dream. But, reality caught up with him in the form of Luigi, telling him to get dressed, they were going to meet at a party.

Mario was usually very excited for Peach's parties; they involved the superb cooking by the highest-quality mushroom chefs, breath taking decor with real twinkling invincibility stars hanging from the ceiling, and best of all, the possibility that maybe, just maybe, he would get a kiss from the most beautiful blond princess in the entire world.

But, of course, that was out of the question.

Mario pulled on a suit, half wondering if he should try and steal Peach away anyway. "No," he said out loud. "The woman is engaged. You lost your chance."

* * *

Peach's brain was in a flurry of bliss and excitement. Finally, she was getting married, and to someone as sweet and kind as Trevor! Wedding plans were leaving her flustered, but she was otherwise content. After all, Daisy had promised her she would help with everything.

But behind all the happiness, there was some dread. The party today would be the first time all her friends meet Trevor. Will they like him? What if they don't? She couldn't bear having to choose between them.

And lurking behind that was something she couldn't place. It was a strange sadness, a memory of one distant night, long ago when she was still carefree of Bowser and the Koopas... A few rushed kisses and sweet nothings exchanged between her and a man wearing a red shirt...

_DING DONG!_

The doorbell shook her from her thoughts. When she opened the door, Mario and Luigi stood there, just as she had asked them, to help with setting up.

* * *

Mario was nervous, to say the least.

"Mario! Luigi! Thanks for coming!" Peach said happily, stepping aside to let them in. "Trevor's in his room. He'll be down in a few minutes. I can't wait until you can meet him!"

"I'm sure he's great," Luigi replied with a sideways glance at his brother. "What do you need help with?"

"Can you just get the plates from the kitchen and set them on the table?"

"No problem."

And with that, they left for the steamy, noisy kitchen. About twenty chefs were finishing up on cooking dinner, which smelled like Shroom Steak.

Mario immediately spoke, as if he'd been struggling to keep a few choice insults about Peach's fiance in. "Who does that guy think he is? He shows up not even a year ago and snags Peach before I can say anything?"

Luigi shrugged, grabbing some plates from the counter. "I dunno, guess she just likes him."

Mario followed suit, taking a stack of plates. "Well, what's he got that I don't?"

And as they exited the kitchen, plates in hand, they got their first glimpse of Trevor.

He was standing in a white suit with a green tie, arms crossed. His dark red hair was perfectly neat, not a hair out of place, matching his freckles, which seemed to be arranged in a pattern on his thin cheeks. He had a thin nose, green eyes, and was holding Peach close, almost kissing her.

_"Hey!" _Mario couldn't stop himself from shouting. "Get off her!"

Peach jumped back in alarm. She looked toward the source of the noise, and when she saw Mario, her eyebrows knotted together. "Mario? What are you talking about?"

A wave of embarrassment washed over Mario. Had he really just shouted 'get off her' at a guy who was embracing a woman that wasn't his? "Um... Sorry. I'm sorry."

Peach gave a smile that looked rather fixed. "That's fine. This Trevor. Trevor, this is Mario and Luigi, two good friends of mine."

"Pleasure to meet you both," Trevor said. As Mario shook his gloved hand, he thought about how even Trevor's _voice _was clean-cut and regal. "Peach throws the best parties, don't you think?"

Mario forced a grin, nodded and said, "Yeah, I've been going for almost five years now."

Trevor nodded and smiled the first genuine smile of the four of them that day. "Ah, so are they getting better or what?"

The next few hours passed in awkward small talk and the hanging of decorations. Luigi seemed like he almost didn't want to be there, so Mario confronted him on it.

"Well, it's the tension. It kinda hangs in the air, y'know?" he explained, referring to Mario and Trevor. "I can't think of anything to say. Peach is gonna notice, she's not stupid."

"Mario?"

Mario looked around. Peach was looking at him with a an expectant expression on her face. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Luigi gave him an 'I-told-you-so' look, then went back to setting place mats. Mario looked toward Peach, a bit scared at what she might call him out on, but nevertheless walked over.

"Sure, what do you need?" Mario asked.

"...Alone?" She took his shoulder and led him into a nearby room. It was more of a large closet, with brooms and other janitor supplies stacked against the wall. As soon as the door was closed, Peach's look of complete control and calm slipped, revealing the twisting of emotions she was really feeling. "Mario... Are you okay with this?"

Mario tried to look like he had no clue what she was talking about. "With what?"

Peach gave him a reproachful glare. "Mario, don't give me that. I could tell this was bugging you from the start."

Mario gave up playing innocent. "Well, sorry, Peach! I thought all those times I saved you from Bowser counted for something, but I guess not."

"Mario, what are you talking about?"

"I thought we had something." As the words left his lips, he knew it sounded like he was admitting something terrible.

Peach frowned. "Yeah, well, we don't." She threw open the door an walked out without a backward glance.

Mario felt like someone had dunked his heart in icy water. What had just happened? Did he cause that? Why would Peach be so cold?

But, he knew.

He had been too late.

* * *

Mario and Luigi left not even thirty minutes later. Peach smiled and waved them away, and Mario smiled back, but there was something not all there behind still felt bad about what she'd said, but felt it best not to mention it.

As soon as they were alone, Trevor hugged her around the middle. "Are you sure you have everyone down on the guest list?"

A sudden idea popped into Peach's head. She couldn't be with Mario, but she could help him... "Actually, there's one more person I want to add."


	3. Chapter 3

**By the way the you-know-what character (it's spoiled in the reviews) is going to act very differently from my other stories. Kind of. Just read.**

**I'll make more jokes about doing it if it doesn't upset some of my younger readers (if any). I won't know if you don't review!  
**

The party was, as promised, spectacular in every way. Everything seemed to have a polished edge to it, looking like it was brand new and shiny. Through the air drifted casual conversation about things like how beautiful the castle was, and congratulations on your engagement.

Mario couldn't help but notice, however, the way Peach never looked him right in the eye, or spoke directly to him. He couldn't take the tension, so he decided to speak. "So, how long have you two known each other?"

Peach and Trevor looked at each other, as if surprised they would have to answer this question. Peach spoke. "Oh, about 6 or 7 months, wasn't it?"

"Yes, a thrilling tale..." Trevor said, smiling and hugging Peach around the middle. "I found Peach near the outskirts of my kingdom, as I was taking a walk. Her leg was broken, she was unconscious, and her crown was all dented... it seemed she'd fallen from a great height... So, I brought her back to the infirmary, had her patched up, fixed her crown, and when she opened her eyes and looked at me, she just smiled, and I knew I would be with her forever."

Peach's expression melted, as if it were honey. "Oh, Trevor, that's the sweetest thing anyone's ever said to me!" she gushed, looking, it seemed, pointedly at Mario, but he could have just imagined it. His head was spinning, after all.

"Oh, Mario! I invited a last-minute guest! Here she comes now," Peach said, pointing just past Mario.

Mario looked round, and the person he saw made him wonder if he was imagining things. But there she was, in a stunning red dress, soft brown hair down to her waist.

"Pauline?" he said in disbelief. "You invited _her?"_

"Yeah," Peach answered, as if it were nothing to be upset about. "We haven't seen her in years."

"Yeah, for a reason," Mario said under his breath as she spotted him and walked over.

"Mario! I haven't seen you in forever!" She swung her arms around him happily. A weird discomfort went over Mario as he was reminded of the countless times Pauline had lied to his face and cheated on him. How could she just waltz up to him and pretend nothing ever happened?

Nevertheless, the group settled into small talk about anything at all. Casually, the conversation drifted toward dating.

"Well, congrats on the wedding!" Pauline said happily, smiling at Peach and Trevor. "I got married myself last fall, love of my life, his name's Stanley."

Peach got a weird look on her face, like shock, but quickly covered it by saying, "Oh, Mario, you've met Stanley, right?"

"Yeah, we used to work together," Mario commented. "He tried to talk me into investing into his business idea, something about bug spray."

"It's gotten pretty successful, actually." She smiled. "Mario, it's good seeing you again. Last time I saw you was, what, five years ago?"

"Yeah," Mario agreed. The whole situation was pretty surreal. It was as if, as Pauline entered, she brought with her all his old high school drama.

As the party went on, Mario ended up leaning against the wall near the main hallway. He watched as all the happy couples danced. He always thought that by the age of 28 that he'd be married, or at least have a girlfriend. Eight years ago, when he'd first entered the Mushroom world, he decided that he was going to marry Peach some day.

But that was eight years ago. They'd moved on.

Peach had, at least.

"Mario!" A voice snapped him out of his trance. He turned to see Pauline, smiling and wobbling on her feet and obviously drunk, beckoning him over. She'd always been a lightweight, he remembered. "C'mere!"

"Yeah, Pauline?" He walked over, offering her his hand to help support her, which she grabbed and used to pull him closer.

"It's _real _good to see you again, Mario!" she said into his ear, then giggled. She shoved him against the opposite wall and pressed her lips to his.

Mario made a sound of protest and shoved her away as gently as he could. "Pauline! Get off me, you're married!"

"Who cares? Stanley's so _wimpy, _but _you _know how to stand up for a woman, _right?_"

"Uh, sure-"

"_You_ saved me from a _monkey!_" She cackled, and a few guests stared at them. Mario smiled sheepishly.

"Why don't we bring you home, okay?" Then he realized he had no clue where she lived. "Um, how about to a guest room?"

He led her up a flight of stairs and to the nearest room with a bed he could find. He dragged, almost carried her to the bed. "There we go, lie down for a bit."

"A _bed!" _She laughed loudly again, and Mario hoped nobody downstairs could hear her. "I know what you wanna do, Mario!"

"What?" Then, he caught on. "Oh, no no _no. _Just stay up here until you sober up."

"But _Mariooo!_" Her shrill, demanding voice pierced his eardrums, the way it always had. Mario sighed. He couldn't believe Pauline, with a ring on her finger, had come back for a visit, and wanted to do _it, _of all things.

"Pauline, _no." _He grabbed her hand, pointing to her ring finger. "See this?" She nodded. "That means you can only do it with _Stanley. _That's _all._" He knew from experience that to deal with a drunk Pauline, you had to act like you were talking to a two-year-old. Even if the subject was doing it.

"Okay, okay, I'll sleep." She flopped onto the bed. "Rub my back?"

"Do I have to?"

"Come _on."_

Mario complied, sitting on the bed and rubbing his hand up and down her back until he heard soft snoring.

"What are you guys doing?" Mario looked up to see Peach in the doorway, a suspicious look on her face.

"Pauline got drunk," Mario explained.

"Ah, I heard she couldn't hold much." She sat next to him. It was as if that conversation before the party had never happened, and it was unsettling.

Peach was staring at Pauline, and Mario knew it wasn't because she was afraid she would be in the same position; she could drink Mario under the table any day. After a while, she spoke.

"Look, I invited Pauline to try and get her to ask you on a date or something. I had no clue she was _married... _I mean, _Pauline?_"

"Yeah, I know." It _was _pretty hard to believe Pauline would tie herself down to one man. "She _did _ask me to do it with her, though."

"What?" Peach sounded shocked. "You didn't, right?"

"No! It's only been a few minutes!" Mario replied, insulted.

Peach laughed. It was far quieter than the obnoxious noises Pauline made when she laughed. "Good. It's not nice to take advantage of drunk people." She patted his shoulder and walked out.

Mario watched her leave, and just then, in that moment, did he realize what he was losing, and how beautiful a person, inside and out, Peach was. That feeling lasted a split second, but he realized it was the same one he felt when Peach announced her engagement. It was one of complete despair, at the same time trying to pretend you were happy for a friend.

Just when Mario decided he should leave the room, Trevor walked in. He took one look at Pauline, raised his eyebrows and crossed his arms, and remarked, "Mission accomplished, I presume?"

"What? _No!_" Mario almost yelled. "She's my ex-girlfriend!"

"Yes, but still, never hurts." He shrugged. "I was thinking of taking a whack at her myself."

Mario gave him a questioning look. Where was the Trevor he'd met in the main hall, the one who was proper and polite, who would never even consider cheating on Peach. Finally, he said quietly, "What?"

Trevor just laughed and punched him lightly on the arm. "I'm kidding! I don't need this one, you've seen Peach. Some legs she's got, huh?"

"Yeah... nice..." Mario was becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the conversation. He wasn't one to sit around in a room with an unconscious woman talking about his friend's legs with her fiancee. "Look, you're going to take care of her, right?"

"Don't worry, Mario, she'll be fine with me," Trevor assured him. "Just fine." He smiled and left the room.

Mario looked over at Pauline. Yes, she had definitely brought all his old high school drama back with her.


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay, this story might be a bit inappropriate. Sorry 'bout that. The "doing it" factor, that is to say how in detail I describe things, will be about on the same level as a Meg Cabot book. The inappropriateness, that is, not the writing.**

The party ended after what seemed like an eternity. Mario, Luigi and Daisy had promised to stay after and help stack chairs and tables, so they were hanging by the door as guests left. Peach was standing closest to the huge doors, saying goodbyes to people as they left.

Mario caught Pauline as she walked past him. "Pauline!"

She looked back at him. "Yes?" He could tell by the way she spoke that her head had mostly cleared, and he could talk with her now. He ushered her over to a hallway, out of sight.

"I don't know if you remember, but you were pretty drunk a few hours ago, and you were flirting with me pretty bad."

Pauline's eyebrows raised, her cheeks glowing red. "I was? Oh, I'm so sorry. I've really got to stop drinking..."

Mario laughed. "Yeah. Memories, huh?"

She smiled, raising her shoulders. "Yeah, memories."

They stood in awkward silence for a few moments, then before Mario could react, before he even knew what was happening, Pauline pushed him up against the wall and kissed him.

Mario was stunned, frozen against the wall. He pushed her away. "Pauline! What the hell?"

"Oh, Stanley doesn't have to find out, don't worry." And then her lips were sliding over his again. Mario knew it was wrong, knew it wasn't fair to anyone, least of all his old coworker Stanley, but he couldn't resist kissing her back. He had missed her... He'd loved her at one point, even...

They ducked into a bedroom, shutting the door. Pauline unzipped her blouse, threw it to the floor...

* * *

Mario stepped out the door, thoroughly disgusted with himself. He'd sunk to a new low. He couldn't believe what he'd just done. _You dirtbag, you just slept with a married woman._ He buttoned his shirt as quickly as he could, staring at the carpeted floor, when he ran into Peach.

"Mario! Where have you been?" She tried to peer around him into the room, but Mario blocked her quickly and slammed the door.

"Nothing! I mean, nowhere! Why are you asking so many questions, Peach?" He smiled, but thought it came off as more of a panicked grimace.

Peach raised one eyebrow and spoke slowly and suspiciously. "I only asked one question. And who's in there with you?"

"Nothing! I-I mean, no one! There's no one here! Just us!" How are you doing, Peach?"

"Uh, Mario, you're acting weird." She crossed her arms, then shook her head. "We finished with all the chair stacking, so you and Luigi can go home now, it's getting kind of late."

"Alright, I'll be down in a minute, I left my watch in the room..." He quickly opened and closed the door as he entered the guest room. Pauline was laying in the bed, covered only by the sheets. He avoided looking at her, choosing to stare at where the wall met the floor. "Hey, Pauline."

"Who were you talking to?" she said indignantly, crossing her arms over her chest.

"No one."

"Okay. Come sit down, then," she said, patting the space beside her. Mario complied, all the while looking at the door, hoping nobody would barge in on them. He chanced a glance at her, then looked away quickly.

"Pauline, could you get dressed, please?"

"Why? It's not like you haven't seen me na-"

"Pauline! Just be quiet, please!" Mario put his head in his hands and sighed heavily. "I feel terrible."

Pauline frowned, placing a hand on his shoulder. "What is it, honey? Sick?"

Yes, he was sick. Not like he was going to puke, but he was disgusted and ashamed, and that made him feel a bit ill. He hadn't talked to Stanley in years, but they were friends. What would he say? What would _anyone _say? What is Luigi or Peach found out?

All he could say was, "Don't call me that."

"I'll go get you some aspirin. Help me find my bra."

Mario let out a low moan and flopped backwards onto the bed, covering his eyes.

* * *

"Mario's acting weird," Peach stated, biting her lip.

"Yeah, he's a weird guy," Luigi replied, shrugging and stacking plates one by one.

Peach shook her head. "No, I mean weirder than usual. I caught him in the hallway, and when he saw me he looked totally freaked out. And he was all sweaty and guilty." She looked indifferent before a look of horror dawned over her. "Oh my _God! _You don't think-?"

Luigi shrugged. "Nah. He's not that much of a dirtbag."

Peach raised her eyebrows and shook her head. "You know what he said to me?" Luigi shook his head, so she continued. "He said that he thought we _had _something."

"I thought you did too, honestly." Peach threw him a dirty look. "What?"

"Luigi, I'm getting married! To _not _Mario!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever."

* * *

Mario and Luigi were sitting at home later, Luigi reading a book and Mario playing video games. Luigi wasn't paying very much attention to his brother, but for the times when the 'Game Over' music played and Mario shouted obscenities.

"Calm down, okay?" Luigi thumbed through his novel. "I keep losing my place."

Mario paused the game with a furious thumb motion. "Are you _high?"_

"What?"

"You have been _extremely _laid back throughout this entire ordeal!" Mario shouted. "Either you're high or completely emotionless."

"Hey, just because I'm not _freaking out _doesn't mean I'm high!" Luigi retorted. "If anyone's high, it's you. You need to chill out. It's not the end of the world."

"How would you like it if Daisy suddenly decided you didn't love each other and ran off with some prince?"

"Did you ever actually _say _anything?" Luigi asked.

Things clicked into place when he realized he never had. Not once. "I just figured... Y'know, I've saved her life so many times..."

Luigi sighed. "Girls are weird, Mario. They don't want you to take them for granted. Saving her life doesn't mean she loves you back. I had to work at it for months to get Daisy to love me."

Mario was quiet. This must be why Peach was so angry when he confessed that he loved her. Damn, was he always this dumb? He sure hoped not. "I should've told her sooner."

Luigi shrugged. "Nothing you can do about it now."

Mario's shoulders sunk. "There isn't. Do you know what I did today?"

"Hm?"

Mario bowed his head in shame, staring at the floor as if it would offer some type of solace as to what he had done. "I slept with Pauline." He kept his head down so he wouldn't have to see the look of disgust on his brother's face. "God, she's _married! _To _Stanley, _someone I used to know, one of my old _friends! _I can't believe I did this!"

"That's... wow, that's not good." Mario looked up. Luigi looked uncomfortable, and he'd put the book down. "I don't know how you fix something like that..."

Luigi looked like he was searching for words, but what he would have said, Mario never heard. Their door burst open, and in walked a man Mario knew.

Stanley had gotten a bit taller, though he was about the same height as Mario. He still looked boyish with his shaggy, sandy hair and jutting front teeth, but he had ditched his overalls for a T-shirt and jeans. As he got closer to the duo, he rounded on Mario, fury in his eyes.

"Mario! How could you do this?" He grabbed Mario's shirt collar, but only for a few seconds before Mario, being much stronger that him, pushed him away.

"Stanley? What do you want?" But it wasn't like Mario didn't know already.

"I wanna know why you assaulted my wife!" Then he started throwing punches.

**See? Like a damn soap opera.**


	5. Chapter 5

**I tried to put some funny stuff in here, but... it's kinda depressing. **

Peach combed her hair in front of her mirror, deep in thought. The evening hadn't gone worse than she'd anticipated, but it had gone quite differently. Pauline being married had definitely thrown her for a loop.

Mario had acted strange. Stranger than usual. She hated being mad at him, but what choice did she have? She couldn't be happy when he was telling her he thought they'd had something mere months before her marriage. He was tactless.

And what had gone on in the hallway? Why did he seem so on edge?

"Peach."

A voice roused her from her thoughts. Ah, right, Trevor was here. In her bed. She blushed at the thought. She was old fashioned, she knew, but they were yet to have sex. She wanted it to be special, after they were married. "Yeah?"

He walked up behind her and put his hands around her waist. "This evening was great."

Peach smiled and put her hands on his.

"Just the parts with you, though." He kissed her. "Your friends are strange."

Peach snapped to attention. She whirled around to face him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Half of them aren't human, and the other half are downright embarrassing."

"Embarrassing? How?" No, this was what she had been afraid of! How could he not like her friends?

"It doesn't matter." He touched the side of her face gingerly. "When we're married, and we go back to my kingdom, you'll have much better friends than-"

"Who says we're going back to your kingdom?" Peach cut across him.

Trevor looked confused. "Well, I assumed-"

"You _assumed_ wrong!" Peach hit his hand away and took a few steps back. "I don't know what kind of girl you think I am, but I'm not gonna let you make all the decisions!"

Trevor looked hurt. "I thought since my kingdom is more advanced-"

"Advanced _how?"_

"We don't use _torches _to light the corridors!"

They were both yelling now, not letting the other get a word in. Peach screamed about how she couldn't leave her kingdom, and how dare he not like her friends, and Trevor retorted with how his kingdom was far better than hers would ever be, with better people. Finally, Peach strode over to the door of her room. She grabbed the doorknob and pushed it open.

Trevor raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing?"

"Get out."

"No! I'm not taking orders from a _girl!"_

Peach glared at him, and suddenly she was struck with a heavy thought. She was _marrying _this man. This man who belittled her friends and wouldn't listen to her. A sexist jerk, that's all he was. She couldn't stop the tears that came to her eyes. "I can't sleep in the same bed as you tonight. Just go."

He sighed heavily and finally left the room. Peach slammed the door behind him, then flopped down on the bed. Thoughts crept into her mind suddenly about Mario. Mario, who always listened to what she had to say. Mario, with whom she shared her friends. Mario, who _loved _her.

* * *

"Stanley, what are you_ talking _about?"

Mario had overpowered Stanley about five seconds after he had started punching him. Stanley had calmed down enough that he was now sitting across from Mario and Luigi, but he tapped his foot and glared.

"Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about!" He slammed his hand down on the coffee table. "Pauline came home crying!"

There was a sick swooping in Mario's stomach. "Stanley... Pauline was really drunk at the party."

"Bull, she stopped drinking years ago."

Mario looked to Luigi for help. Luigi sighed. "Well, I guess she hasn't. I think she's been keeping a lot of secrets."

"What would she have to hide from me? I'm her _husband, _for God's sake!" He stood up, kicking his chair to the floor. "What the hell is wrong with her? What did she do?"

Mario felt his heart jump up about a foot and his stomach drop about the same distance. This was it, the moment of truth. "Stanley, you're not gonna like this. Stanley... I slept with Pauline." He was surprised he was able to say it without stuttering or choking on his words. Nevertheless, he covered his face with his hands so he wouldn't have to see Stanley's angry face. He braced himself for the barrage of punches that was sure to come.

But they never came. Mario looked up. Stanley was sitting back down, hands over his face, slumped over. He realized his shoulders were shaking, small sobbing noises coming from his direction.

This was worse that getting beat up. He _wished _he was getting beaten up.

Before either of the Marios could think of what to do next, Stanley gave them a final look of dismay. "How could you do this to me?" He left without a backward glance.

* * *

Peach sipped her tea. She laughed with Daisy and enjoyed the sunlight streaming through the windows. "Have you written your wedding vows yet?"

"'Course not," Daisy replied. "Don't wanna make them too long, anyway."

Peach almost dropped her tea. "You haven't? I wrote mine the night he proposed!"

Daisy laughed loudly. "Guess I'm not as traditional as you. Besides, the night Luigi proposed, I was too busy doing it with him to write anything down."

Peach choked on her tea, but tried to cover it up with a cough.

"And _that's _how I know you're a virgin."

_"Daisy."_ Peach wiped a bit of tea off her chin. "I'm saving it for after we're married."

"Don't you have to take the car for a test drive before you buy it?"

_"Daisy!"

* * *

_Mario woke up early. Actually, he knew he hadn't woken up, because he'd never fallen asleep. He grabbed his hat from his night stand and used it to cover his hopelessly messy, thinning hair. Stretching, he walked to the bathroom.

He stared at his reflection in the mirror. He looked disheveled, unshaven, tired. He thought about cleaning up a bit, but then realized he wasn't going anywhere. He went to the kitchen to find Luigi. Before he saw Luigi, however, he tripped over a bulging suitcase. Rubbing his stubbed toe, he looked up.

"Hey," Luigi greeted. He looked tired, but not like Mario. He was going somewhere. The only hint that he had rushed his routine was his wearing glasses instead of contacts.

"Hi," Mario said back, looking around the kitchen. He saw a duffel bag and a knapsack. "What's all this?"

Luigi raised his eyebrows. "Oh, my flight out's today. Really soon, actually."

Flight out. That's right, Luigi was leaving today to go live with Daisy, and to make preparations for their wedding. Their wedding was next week, he realized with a jolt, and he needed to show up to the rehearsal dinner, he was the best man. "Oh yeah. How soon are you leaving?"

He checked his watch. "My flight's in forty-five minutes, so... I've got about fifteen minutes."

"Want a quick game of Karting?" he asked, nodding to the Gamecube in the living room.

Luigi shook his head. Of course, Luigi was getting married, leaving, moving forward with his life. He had to leave behind all the silly childish things like video games, like the Mushroom Kingdom, like Mario.

"I gotta eat breakfast." He rummaged around in the fridge. "Daisy never has any food in her castle."

"Really? You'd think with her being a princess and all..."

"Yeah, it's weird."

Mario was silent while Luigi searched for food. "It's so weird, you getting married before me."

"Yeah, I always thought you'd get the girl, honestly." He settled on a banana and an untoasted bagel. "Ah well."

Mario frowned. "I've thought you were gay since you were fourteen."

Luigi glared at him. "Well, thanks." He checked his watch. "I gotta go. I'll see you at the rehearsal dinner, ok?"

"Seeya, Weege." Mario hugged him, but he couldn't help but notice Luigi bolt out the door. He felt like he had been abandoned. But that was ridiculous.


End file.
